Swing



R. A. GAZELLA Aug. 1, 1950 SWING Filed March 4, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1R'JZGaz 6220,

A 1950 R. A. GAZELLA 2,516,975

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Filed March 4, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 h I I I {l I wanted:

W26 1 0 RJZ aazezla Patented Aug. 1, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1Claim. (Cl. 15563) This invention relates to swings and moreparticularly to swings having a foot pedal and handle bar by which therider may propel the swing.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved swing of thekind to be more particularly described hereinafter having a seat framefor supporting one or two seats and a handle bar and foot pedal leverpivotally mounted on the frame by which the rider or riders may propelthe swing by rocking the lever. The seat frame and swing operating leverare suspended by substantially parallel chains or cords from a fixedsupport so that a force exerted on the lever will be carried into theseat frame.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved swing of thiskind having a seat frame suspended by a pair of longitudinally spacedapart parallel flexible supporting members whereby the position of theseat relative to the ground will remain the same, i. e., parallel, inall positions of the swing throughout the arc of its travel. The seatsuspension is substantially a four bar linkage so the seat wheninitially set parallel to the upper bar of the fixed supporting framewill remain parallel during the arc of the swing.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved swingof this kind having a seat frame that is very light and strong providingan efllcient swing suitable for the hard use and abuse to which devicesof this kind are subjected by children.

A further object of this invention is to provide a handle bar on adevice of this kind which is freely rotatable whereby the handle willrotate about its support on the operating lever while being held firmlyin the grip of a. rider as the position of the rider relative to theflexible supporting members changes in the movement of the swing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a guard railabout the seat of the swing for holding a small child and preventing himfrom sliding from the swing inadvertently.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved swing constructed accordingto an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally animproved swing having means for actuating the swing by a person ridingthereon. The numeral H designates generally a fixed frame from which theswing and the operating member depend. The frame II is formed of a pairof upright supporting bars l2 at each end and longitudinally extendinghorizontal supporting members I4 fixed between the upper ends of theupright bars H at each side of the frame.

A transverse bar I5 is fixed horizontally between the opposed pairs ofupright members I 2 at the upper ends thereof at each end of the frameand a central transverse bar I B is fixed between the horizontal bars I4midway the length thereof.

The swing H is supported by flexible members as chains or cords H! whichare fixed at their upper end to the transverse bars I5 and at theirlower end to the swing frame [1. The swing frame H is formed of anelongated strip of metal or other suitable material, bent to form a seatframe is and having a central longitudinal forwardly extending bar 20integral therewith.

The front end of the seat frame is formed concave as at 2| on each sideof the center line through the seat to provide for the comfortableposition of the legs of the rider with the frame bar sides convergingand meeting at the center of the front of each seat in tapered formationand the bars 20 contiguous or brought together in contact. The seat Ilmay be formed, as shown in Figure 1, with a pair of oppositely disposedseat frames l9 rigidly connected together by the bars 20.

A seat cover as 22 is adapted to be placed above the seat frame I9 toprovide a seat thereon. A guard rail 24, which is substantially U-shapedin. plan view, is fixed to or formed on each of the seat frames l9opening forwardly towards the center of the swing. The guard rail 24 isformed of a U-shaped bar 25 fixed above the frame l9 by upright bars orposts 26 at the back and sides of the seat and guard rail, the posts 28at the sides being bent down from the ends of bar 25. A transverse baror supporting member 21 is fixed to the lower side of the seat frame l9near bar 20. A pivot pin 32 engages through the arms I 3| and throughthe bar 20.

Transversely extending foot pedals 33 are fixed to the lower end of thearms 3| and extend outwardly therefrom to be engaged by the" feet of therider for rocking the lever .30. Upwardly extending lugs 34 are fixedori'tlie outer end of the foot pedal 33 to prevent the foot of the riderfrom sliding off of the pedal.

A transverse handle bar 35 is fixed to the upper end of the lever 30,extending outwardly from both sides thereof. A small plate 36 is fixedto the outer ends of the handle bar 35 by a bolt 31 or other suitableattaching means, and a tubulair handle grip 38 is loosely mounted onthebar 35. The handle grip 3B is disposed between the arms 3| and the lugs36 to hold the grip 38 against lateral movement.

The grip 38 maybe grasped tightly by the rider and may be rotated tosuit the position of the hands relative to the lever 30 and the handlebar 35." A flexible operating member as the chain 33 is fixed betweenthe lugs 33 and the central transverse bar Hi. Rocking movement of thelever 30 relative to the frame will effect oscillating or swingingmovement of the swing relative to the frame H.

In the use and operation of this swing, the propulsion of the swing maybe effected by the rider or riders by rocking the lever 30 either by wayofthe foot pedals33 or by means of the handle bar 35 or both. A swingconstructed in this manner may be built very light,- and having aminimum numberof parts will require practically no attention formaintaining the swing in usable condition.

The flexible supportingmembers l8, and operating members 33' aresubstantially parallel as shown in Figure l, which will provide for themaximum movement to be derived by rocking movement of the lever 30.While the parallel disposition of these flexible members will providefor the most efficient arrangement, the members may beotherwise'disposed so that the operating member 39 will be forward ofthe supporting member I8.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claim.

What claim is:

A swing comprising'a seat structure constituted of an elongated bar bentto form spaced horizontal loops forming seat frames facing each other,said bar being brought together centrally at the inner sides of the seatframes to form a rigid horizontal connection between the seat frames,seat covers on said seat frames, a vertical operating lever pivotallyconnected to the connections between the seat frames and comprising apair of bats straddling the connec tion and brought togetherat theirupper end portions, a foot bar secured to the lower end of the leverandextending from opposite sides thereof a. handle bar mounted throughthe upper end of the lever and projecting from opposite sides thereof,tubular handles on the bar at opposite sides'of the lever; retainingmeans for said handIes at the ends' of the handle bar, a transverse barsecured tothe lower-side of each seat frame near the outer ends thereofand projecting from opposite'sides of the seat frames, pairs of spacedflexible members suspended from above and con nected at their lowerendsto the ends of the transverse bars at opposite sidesof the seats, and apair offlexibl-e operating members suspended from'above andconnected attheir lower ends to themandle bar at spaced points on opposite sides ofthe lever.

ROBERT A. GAZELLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:-

UNI'IED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 282,934 Tully Aug. '7, 1883793,364 Smith Aug. 1, 1905 132333322 Smolensk}! Aug. 27, 1929 1,930,373Wagner et a1 Oct. 10, 1933 2,358,098 Pippin Sept. 12, 1944:

